When junior quarterback McKenzie Milton went down with a severe knee injury against South Florida on Nov. 23, many thought the University of Central Florida's title hopes and the possibility of a second unbeaten season went with him.

That has hardly been the case.

No, the Knights won't be playing for a national title, being passed over by college football's selection committee yet again. But the No. 8 Knights (12-0) do have a date with No. 11 LSU (9-3) in Tuesday's PlayStation Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. And they'll be playing for a 26th straight win.

The athlete getting the call when Milton went down was red-shirt freshman Darriel Mack, now 2-0 as a starter. At 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, Mack is slightly bigger then the 5-11, 185-pound starter and he is a bit more adept at running, but the offense hasn't changed.

Injured Central Florida quarterback McKenzie Milton, arrives with his team at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix on December 27. Central Florida will face LSU in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Day.(Photo: Cheryl Evans/The Republic)

"We're going to be who we are," said UCF quarterbacks coach Jeff Lebby, who serves as co-offensive coordinator along with head coach Josh Heupel said. "D.J. gives us the ability to do that and run our offense the way we want to run it and gives us the ability to do exactly what we want to do. Didn't have to change much."

Milton, the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, threw for 2,663 yards and 25 touchdowns with only six interceptions before taking a helmet to the knee that caused nerve damage and severely injured multiple ligaments. He has already had four surgeries with another to repair nerve damage scheduled for later this month.

Milton was cleared to travel just before the Knights left for the bowl game is here supporting his teammates and offering words of advice to his understudy-turned-starter.

Mack wasn't completely untested when called up late in the season. He did get a start against a 3-9 East Carolina on Oct. 20 when Milton was a big banged up and the coaching staff felt it could get by without him. Mack only needed to throw for 68 yards but he also had 22 carries for 120 yards.

"Having that game under my belt definitely helped," he said. "You're always trying to learn even when you're on the sideline but there is nothing like actually being in a game."

As expected Mack improved considerably his second start, his showing much more noteworthy given the level of competition. That one came against Memphis on Dec. 1 in the conference championship game when he ran for 59 yards and four touchdowns and threw for 348 in leading the Knights to a 56-41 victory.

"I have always prepared like I'm the starter because you never know when it is going to be your turn," said Mack, who added that he wasn't overwhelmed by the moment.

"It was crazy. I wasn't nervous. Palms weren't sweaty. I was just ready to go out there when It actually happened. I knew I was good. Made a couple throws, missed a couple throws, stuff like that. But I never really sat and got down on myself."

The LSU braintrust was glad Mack got an opportunity to play because it has game film to study instead of having to go in with nothing to go on.

"He's got a really strong arm and he's got a good touch on the deep ball," LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda said. "They love to run him so the run/pass numbers are different when he's in the game. I think third down in general, they're about 60 percent pass. With him in the game, it's 50/50. That's true throughout other down-and-distance situations and things. So he brings into effect the use of all 11 guys. So the danger there is if the throw game gets going and we have to be able to help and cloud this, double that, then it opens up running areas for them. That would be worst-case scenario for us."

Colubiale returns

This is the second trip to the FIesta Bowl for UCF, with the first coming back in 2014. There is just one holdover on the current team who was around when the Knights defeated Baylor 52-42 in that game — Michael Colubiale.

UCF tight end Michael Colubiale runs with the ball during a game against Southern Methodist on Oct. 6 at Spectrum Stadium.(Photo: Reinhold Matay / USA TODAY Sports)

Colubiale, a 6-foot-1, 223-pound tight end, red-shirted that year and played on the scout team. He missed all of 2015 with a shoulder injury and later applied for and got a sixth year from the NCAA which made him eligible to finish out his playing career this season.

He he has played in all 12 games and has 18 catches for 258 yards and three touchdowns.

He appreciates this trip more for all the obvious reasons.

"It is different just because I'm part of the game plan." he said. "And obviously it's a little bittersweet because it will be my last game with these guys."

Golf outing a hit

A handful of players took a break from game preparation Friday night and hit some golf balls at Scottsdale Topgolf.

Some fared better at it than others.

"I think I hit the ball two out of five times and it went three yards," sophomore running back Greg McCrae said. "But it was a lot of fun."

Others took a hike up Camelback Mountain.

"That was the first time I have ever been hiking," Colubiale said. "It was nice to go out and do something different."